Living for God’s Glory: An Introduction to Calvinism

Summary

The theological system known as Calvinism is often caricatured as harsh, dour, and illogical. But as Dr. Joel R. Beeke argues in this important new book, this image could not be further from the truth. Beeke, a pastor, educator, editor, and prolific author, shows instead that Calvinism is a theology that is firmly rooted in Scripture and works its way out into every area of the believer’s life. He aims to “cover the intellectual and spiritual emphases of Calvinism, the way it influences the church and everyday living, and its ethical and cultural implications.”

In this comprehensive survey of Reformed Christianity, Dr. Beeke and eight fellow contributors offer twentyeight chapters that trace the history of Calvinism; explore its key doctrinal tenets, such as the so-called five points of Calvinism and the solas of the Protestant Reformation; reveal how Calvinists have sought to live in devotion to God; and survey Calvinism’s influence in the church and in the world at large. In the end, the book asserts that the overriding goal of Calvinism is the glory of God. Saturated with Scripture citations and sprinkled with quotations from wise giants of church history, this book presents Calvinism in a winsome and wondrous fashion.

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Testimonials

Great look at how Calvinism impacts all of life

Bob Hayton

I really enjoyed this. It's packed with material on how Calvinism provides a "theology for all of life".
The section on Puritan marriage was particularly eye-opening. The medieval era had downplayed the physical aspects of marriage leaving that for mistresses & peasants. The Puritans brought back a Biblical perspective: the enjoyment of sex within the confines of marriage.
I also learned how the Calvinist notion of vocation (a life's calling) gives all of life great significance.

A Good Book On The Many Aspects of Calvinism

Jeff

Joel Beeke says, 'The target audience for this book is laypeople and ministers who are interested in learning the basics of Calvinism. I hope it also will serve as a stimulating summary and refresher course for those who are already avid Calvinists, much as Steven J. Lawson's The Expository Genius of John Calvin from Reformation Trust excites those of us who are already familiar with much of its content. I have worked hard to keep this book simple, clear, and non-technical, in the hope that you might hand it to others to help them understand how you think as a Calvinist.' I felt this was the case except the chapter on philosophy can be a more difficult read for those of us not well versed in the subject. While John Calvin - A Heart for Devotion Doctrine & Doxology, also from Reformation Trust is about John Calvin himself and a brief introduction to his theology, this book is less about Calvin himself and more about Calvinism from the beginnings of the Reformation through the time of the Puritans both in Europe and after they arrived in the U.S. It's a bit longer and more thorough than the previous mentioned book but is still introductory. Included in this history are the Reformed canons, confessions, catechisms. There is a lengthy treatment of these documents which may be of interest to some who are unfamiliar with their content and origins. Other notable figures from Martin Luther (including an explanation of the differences between Lutheranism and Calvinism) to Jonathan Edwards are mentioned in the book. Although the acronym TULIP wasn't developed until the 1900's, the Canons of Dort contain a response to Arminian theology and this response is covered quite a bit in the book. Therefore, this book isn't an objective look at Calvinism as compared to other areas of theology and Jacob Arminius is talked about negatively. Just when I thought there may have been too much time spent refuting Arminian theology, the book moved on from there. The book doesn't dwell too much on TULIP though, as Calvinism is much more than that: 'It is important to note that the five points do not summarize all of Calvinism; that would be a truncated view of the Reformed faith. One of the aims of this book is to show the panoramic grandeur of the Reformed faith's worldview.' The book also covers the popular 5 Solas-Scripture alone (sola Scriptura), grace alone (sola gratia), faith alone (sola fide), Christ alone (solus Christus), and the glory of God alone (soli Deo gloria). A couple of ancillary benefits to this book are the extensive citations and bibliographies at the end of each chapter and an introduction to the history and theology of the Puritans who carried on the Reformed tradition. Other than listing some of the current denominations that are Reformed, I would like to have seen the history go even farther-past the Puritan era-but that may have been beyond the size and scope of the book. This book is very readable, enjoyable and educational. I highly recommend it.